Cover for beer-cases and the like.



P.T.GLARK. COVER FOR BEER GASES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14, 1912.

Patented July 7, 1914.

PETER T. CLARK, OF ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

' COVER FOR BEEE-oAs s AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patch ted July 7,- 1914.

Application filed necember'14,1912. Serial No. 736,673.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER T. CLARK, a citizen of the. United States, and resident of Roxbury, county of Sufiolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented. an Improvement in Covers for Beer-Cases and. the like, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensiye and effective cover for open-top boxes containing bottled beer or other beverages, the cover not only serving to protect the contents of the bottles from the effect of sun and dust in transportation, but also furnishing a convenient means of concealing from general observation the precise nature of the commodity in transit,

In accordance with my invention the cover comprises a rectangular top, and connected side and end flaps which are adapted to be bent at right angles to the top and folded upon the sides and ends of the case to be covered, to which the said flaps are secured in any suitable and convenient manner. As the dimensions of such cases are apt to Vary somewhat I have provided fdr adjusting the cover to accommodate such variations, and for the purpose that portion of the sheet material of which the cover is made) between each edge of the top and the adjacent conspecification,

, nected flap is so treated that it can be expanded or compressed somewhat, according to circumstances.

The novel features of my 1nvent1on Wlll be fully described-in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claim.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a beer or similar case for bottled beverages with a cover applied thereto embodying my invention, a portion of the cover being bro-ken out; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cover spread out flat, in the form in which it is made up for sale; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional detail on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, to be referred to.

In carrying out my invention I form the cover of sheet material of a rather still but readily foldable character, and preferably fibrous, such as thin but strong pasteboard,

fiberboard, or the like, shape by suitable dies.

Referring to Fig. 2 the cover comprises a rectangular body portion or top 1 of the cut or stamped out to sides and ends of the general dimensions of the box or case to which it is to be applied, and connected side flaps 2, 2 and end flaps 3, 3, the flaps being of the same width, to fold down upon the case when applied thereto, and preferably to completely cover such sides and ends. Inasmuch as beer or slmilar cases vary slightly in length and width I have provided means for adjusting the cover to accommodate such variations, and to this end the material connecting the top and the flaps is provided with a series of parallel corrugations or small bellows folds hese are shown at 4, 4 between the top and the side flaps 2, and at 5, 5 between the, top and the end flaps 3. It will be noticed that the end flaps correspond in Width to the width of the top 1 between the two sets of corrugations 4t, 4 the latter thus serving to laterally offset the side flaps 2, and-the latter have at opposite ends extensions 6, 6 which are foldable along scored lines 7.

To apply the cover to a case the top 1 is set upon the open top of the case,Fig. 1, and the flaps 3 are folded down upon the ends 6 of the case, after which the side flaps 2 are folded down upon the sides a of the case, and the extensions 6 are then folded over upon the adjacent portions of the flaps 3. Small tacks or nails 8, Fig. 1, are then used to fasten the cover in place, or instead of such fastenings the flaps may be glued or pasted upon the sides and ends of the case, whichever is most convenient. By pulling out or stretching the corrugated portions of the cover the same can be enlarged somewhat if necessary, or conversely such corrugated portions can be compressed if the case is smaller than the average.

I provide closures 9 in the end flaps to register with the usual hand holes or openings which are made in the ends of bottle cases for convenience in handling them. These closures normally lie in the planes of the end flaps, or substantially therein, preventing the entrance of dust and dirt to the case, but when it is desired to utilize the hand holes of the case the closures can be pushed inward into such holes, and at such time the closure will swing along the dotted lines 10, Fig. 2. Such lines may be indented or scored in a manner similar to the folding lines 7.

I prefer to form in each end flap 3 a sight opening or window 11, located to come o, posite the direction label 0, Fig. 1, when t e cover is ap nation of t e-parcel can be observed readily.

The jcover made in accordance with my invention is inexpensive, it is iuickly and easily applied to the case, and en in place thereon it not only protects the contents of the bottles from the action of the suns rays and keeps dust and dirt out qf the case in transport, but it also serves to completely inclose and conceal the particular character of the contents of the case from the gaze of,

the curious.

Having fully decribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

As an article of manufacture, a cover for beer cases comprising a rectangular top,

sideand end flaps, adjustable and flexible lied to the case, so that the desti connectin 4' means between said top and each flap whic" permits said flaps to be folded down 11 on the sides and ends of a 'case to which-t ecover is to be applied and which also permits the opposite flaps to be adjusted toward and from each other to fit the case,

and extensions on the ends of a pair of opposite flaps foldable upon the mterven'in'g flaps when the cover is in place upon the case. C In testimony whereof, I- have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 

